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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · board · snap · pound · bore · bay · mate · vault

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — to tire
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spring — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. board — a committee
  23. spring — a coil
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com